


Giving Back

by Anonymous



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Caregiving, Cuddling, Fever, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Reader is protective, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21622825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Rose is a giving person. But you're starting to worry he's giving too much. When you find out he's come down with something, you make it your mission to see that he's looked after.
Relationships: Rose/reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 82
Collections: Anonymous





	Giving Back

Breakfast was your first clue.   
The way Rose had picked at the food you’d made, fretting over the newspaper as he barely ate was a warning sign. Normally he would at least interact with you, but today he neither spoke to you nor showed an interest in the omelets he usually enjoyed. Once the meal was over he’d excused himself to his home office, pausing only to kiss the top of your head. Today was supposed to be his day off, the first in a long time, but perhaps someone had forgotten to inform him. You sighed as you stood up and surveyed the half eaten meal. Rose could be like a train, charging ever onward, stopping for nothing but the destination. Therein lay the trouble; without refueling, engines eventually ran out of steam. As you cleared away the breakfast dishes, you took stock of recent events.  
He’d been working longer hours lately, sometimes late into the night. More and more frequently, you were asleep by the time he came home. Your lunches with him were often interrupted by Oleana whisking him off to a meeting. He’d gone to so many fundraisers that you’d lost track of which one was raising money for which crisis. If you were being honest, it was starting to wear on you, but that was small potatoes compared to how it must be wearing on him.  
Rose was a very generous person. When you went out to eat, he left a tip bigger than the bill itself. When you found a charitable cause to support, he was first in line to donate to it. When it came to supporting Galar's community, no one was more passionate. Lately, though, you were beginning to worry that he gave a little too much.  
Once the dishwasher was rumbling away (energy-efficient, like everything in the house), you settled in the bedroom window seat for some reading. You’d been looking forward to finishing your library book. Despite your hopes of some peace, when you actually tried reading it, your thoughts drifted away from the text, making their way to the office instead. Eventually, you gave up. If something was wrong, you’d rather address your concerns sooner than later. Abandoning your book, you left the room and made your way down the hall.  
When your knock on the door yielded no reply, you opened it to find Rose at his desk. His head was resting on a stack of papers, a pen dangling in his hand as if he’d collapsed mid-signature. A jolt of panic went through you before you realized he was only sleeping. Only sleeping, mere hours after getting out of bed. You rushed in, maneuvering around his desk for a closer look.  
Rose’s breathing was steady, but there was a hint of a wheeze to it. His eyes were rimmed with dark circles and he’d shed his outer layers of clothes, leaving him in a shirt and jeans. Now that you were really looking, the strain his work was putting on him was clear. You took him by the shoulder, ruing how warm his skin felt.  
“Rose? Rose, wake up!”  
Rose’s eyes opened and he looked up at you blearily.   
“(Name)? Oh! What time is it?!” He sat up, far too quickly in your opinion, and looked at the clock.   
“I didn’t realize it was so late! I have a meeting in-!”  
He jumped out of his chair mid-sentence only to have his knees buckle. You caught him on the way down, angling your body so he landed on you rather than the edge of his desk. As you lowered him to the floor, you gave silent thanks for your time training in the wild area. It’d strengthened your muscles enough to support the both of you. Rose sucked in a breath, pressing two fingers to his temple. He was still unsteady, slouching against you as though he felt too dizzy to be upright. You gasped as you touched his forehead.   
“You’re burning up!”  
Rose sighed shakily. “It’s nothing. Give me a moment to get myself together and I’ll be fine.”  
“Nothing?!” You exclaimed. “Nearly passing out is far from _nothing!_ Tell me you weren’t planning to drive like this!”  
Rose winced at the shrillness creeping into your voice. “I’m sorry, dear. I knew I wasn’t feeling myself, but I thought I could tough it out.”  
Upon hearing his apology, You rubbed his arm, hushing him. Your compassion was overriding your exasperation. He really did look penitent. And very, very sick. He was leaning so heavily on your chest he could probably hear your heartbeat. You checked his pulse and found it elevated from the fever. There wasn’t a thermometer handy, but you suspected it was over 100 degrees.   
“Poor thing,” You ran a hand through his hair, brushing back the sweat damp locks. “Let’s get you to bed. I’ll call Oleana and tell her you can’t make it.”  
Rose made a noise of concern. “That means she’ll have to cover for me.”  
“ _Shh,_ ” You soothed, scratching his scalp as though you could extract his worries by hand. “She’ll understand.”  
Rose swallowed thickly. “(Name), I have a job to do…” His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes. “Gods, I’m tired.”  
Your heart clenched in sympathy. “I know you are. And I know you want to look after everyone, but you can’t do that unless you’re well.”  
Perhaps your words had gotten through to him, or the fever was starting to take its toll. Whatever the case, when Rose rested his head on your shoulder, you knew you’d won. “Alright dear. I surrender. Do with me as you will.”  
It was a simple task to walk him to the bedroom. Once there, you sat him on the bed and divested him of shoes and socks. The thermometer you’d snagged from the bathroom confirmed your worries, registering 101.5. Not horrible, but not great either. You stripped off the heavy comforter and substituted something a little lighter. Rose sat quietly through the process, swaying a bit here and there, but staying upright. Whatever strength had gotten him this far was rapidly dissipating, crumbling under the weight of exhaustion.   
“You should leave,” He advised, even as you tucked the sheets around him. “I don’t want you getting sick.”  
You scoffed, patting his hand in reassurance. “I don’t get sick easy. And even if I did, you’re in no condition to be left alone.”  
Rose chuckled, a quiet yet comforting sound. “Ever the protector, eh? I should hire you as a bodyguard.”  
You shook your head, bemused despite yourself.   
“Sleep,” You advised. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”  
You rubbed his back until his eyes shut and his breathing evened out, then pulled out your phone to shoot off a quick text to Oleana. She replied almost instantly and promised to smooth things over with the board members he was standing up. You knew she’d be able to do it, too. You’d never seen anyone quite as competent as her. Once that business was taken care of, you chose a seat by the window and took up your library book. It was an interesting piece of historical fiction. Two chosen heroes, sworn to protect the Galar region, banding together to stop a seemingly unbeatable villain…  
As you read, you couldn’t help but think about Rose and his own…Well, his hero complex for lack of a better term. The zeal with which he tackled even problems that were a millennia into the future was equal parts inspiring and worrying. You got the impression that if he didn’t have people to keep him grounded, he’d be resorting to drastic measures to get things done. They did say the road to hell was paved with good intentions…  
Well. That wouldn’t happen. Not on your watch. If you had to be the one to keep him on the even path, then so be it. As if he could tell you were thinking about him, Rose jerked in his sleep and whimpered. You set down your book and went over to calm him down. Perched on the bed beside him, you stroked his hair until his expression softened again. He deserved a few hours without worry, a moment of rest in a hectic life.  
“It’s Ok,” You whispered. “You’ve given enough. Now, let me give back.”  
You knew he was a man with a lot on his shoulders. But there was nothing that said you couldn’t lighten his load.


End file.
